Journal Exercises

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Journal Exercises

Journaling can help you make the most out of your counseling experience. Journaling activities can also be a great place for you to begin to explore yourself if you are not yet ready for counseling. The purpose of journal work is to enable you to explore your present experience of living and to complete unfinished emotions from your past.

Journaling is a powerful tool to assist you in your quest for self-discovery. Through journaling, you will come to know yourself in a way that opens up new possibilities for living and communication.

In addition to self discovery, journaling can help you release emotions and thoughts that have built up inside. Sometimes just becoming aware of your innermost thoughts and feelings can help you spot the irrational ones that you can let go of.

The first step is to get an 8 x 11 notebook or something similar to call your personal journal. Your journal is for your eyes only until you reach a point where you may decide to share parts of it with a significant other. Knowing that your journal is for you will encourage you to be totally honest with yourself. If you’re uncomfortable writing in a journal, you can also search for secure online journals, which are password protected. LifeJournal is an example of a secure online journal you can access anytime you want to write out thoughts.

We’ve included journal exercises for both individuals and couples below.